The instant invention relates to baseball board games and more particularly to dice and spinner apparatus for determining batting and base stealing outcomes during play of a board game simulating a baseball game.
A wide variety of baseball board games have heretofore been known in the art. In this connection, many of the currently available baseball board games are based on Major League Baseball.RTM. (Major League Baseball is a registered trademark of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.) probabilities of hitting, pitching, fielding, stealing and other specific game circumstances in order to provide more accurate and realistic game play. However, due to the highly statistical nature of these games, the games rules are often too complex for a typical 4 to 10 year old child to comprehend, execute and enjoy. As a result, the majority of children age 10 and under cannot take part in the play of these statistically oriented games.
Furthermore, these board games do not allow for the optional use of collectible baseball cards as an integral part of the game procedures. It is known that the 4 to 10 year old age group is one of the biggest collectors of baseball cards, and it is believed that a board game in which the players could utilize their own collections of baseball cards would have significant play value.
Accordingly, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a baseball board game and apparatus for determining play outcomes which matches the accuracy of Major League Baseball.RTM. hitting, pitching, and base stealing probabilities with the cognitive skill level of the 4 to 10 year old age group while also enabling integral use of a players own baseball card collection during play.
The board game utilizes a first set of six-sided dice to simulate the statistical probabilities of hits, walks, outs, and strikeouts. The first set of dice is coded with specific designations so that the possible combinations of the designations determine whether the player has achieved a hit, walk, strikeout, or out. Once it has been determined that a player has achieved a hit by rolling the dice, a sectored spinner is provided to determine what type of hit is achieved. The spinner is divided into labeled sectors to represent different types of hits. The labeled sectors of the spinner are arranged to accurately represent the statistical distribution of the type of hits. The board game further includes a second set of dice to simulate the statistical probability of stealing a base. The second set of dice is coded with specific designations so that the possible combinations of the designations determine whether the player has successfully stolen a base. The statistical probability of the outcomes of the first set of dice and spinner (batting) and the second set of dice (base stealing) accurately simulates the actual probabilities of Major League Baseball.RTM. statistics. The board game also uses two sets of fictitious player cards, which are preferably supplemented, or replaced by, the players own collectible baseball cards. As in a real baseball game, the players take turns at bat and in the field. The field is represented by an illustrated cardboard playing surface or vinyl mat.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.